The present invention is directed generally to food products and to their methods of preparation. In particular, the present invention is directed to improved aerated confectionery products such as marshmallows fortified with a nutritionally fortifying ingredient such calcium and to processes for making such improved fortified aerated, confectionery products.
Aerated confections are popular food items. Some aerated confections comprise a fat constituent while others are substantially free of such fat constituents. An illustrative fat free aerated confection is the common marshmallow. Such marshmallow products are familiar in both larger and smaller sizes.
It is well know that such marshmallows when fresh are soft and pliable but will stale by losing moisture and become hard. Indeed, purposefully pre-dried aerated confections are also well known. These products, particularly in smaller or bit sizes, are commonly added to certain popular Ready-To-Eat (xe2x80x9cRTExe2x80x9d) breakfast cereals, particularly those marketed to children. Due to their small size (i.e., having a number count of 4 to 6/g), these dried aerated confectionery marshmallow products are sometimes colloquially referred to as xe2x80x9cMar.xe2x80x9d bits or xe2x80x9cmarbitsxe2x80x9d. The marbits must be pre-dried prior to admixture with the RTE cereal in order to reduce unwanted moisture migration from the marbit to the cereal and thus to forestall the multiple problems resulting therefrom.
While there are many types of marshmallow on the market, their methods of preparation generally fall into two main process groups: extruded marshmallow and deposited marshmallow. In both types, a sugar syrup and a structuring agent (such as an albumin, agar or, preferably a gelatin) are the two main ingredients. Typically, the sugar syrup is heated to reduce moisture and is thereafter cooled down, and then combined with the gelatin solution to form a slurry. That slurry is then aerated to form a foam, and after aeration, colors and flavors are then added to the foam. The particular marshmallow product may be formed into its final shape by an extrusion process. That is, after aeration, the foam is extruded through a die to form a rope. The die imparts the desired peripheral shape to the extrudate rope. The rope is allowed to rest briefly to set, and then is cut into desired sizes. For dried marshmallows, the process can additionally include one or more drying steps. (See, for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,551 issued Nov. 2, 1988 to W. J. Meyer entitled xe2x80x9cMethod of Drying Confection Piecesxe2x80x9d).
While marshmallows of a single color are most common, marshmallows having two or even a plurality of colors (collectively herein, xe2x80x9cmulti-coloredxe2x80x9d) are also known (see, for example, D 376,039 issued Dec. 3, 1996 entitled xe2x80x9cFood Productxe2x80x9d showing a two color marbit design) as well as methods for their preparation. (See, for example, U.S. 4,925,380 issued Oct. 20, 1986 entitled xe2x80x9cMulticolor Confection Extrusion System and 5,019,404 issued Feb. 28, 1990 entitled xe2x80x9cMulticolor Confection Extrusion Systemxe2x80x9d, each of which are incorporated herein by reference). Both the ""404 and ""380 well describe the difficulties and sensitivities of such foam product preparation. The conventional processes for making multi-colored marshmallows teach to divide the aerated foam into a plurality of sub-streams, to admix a desired colorant to each sub-stream, and then extrude these colored sub-streams in substantially equal portions into a single rope or multiplicity of such ropes.
For adults, recent medical studies have indicated that a diet containing the U.S. recommended daily allowance (RDA) of calcium might be effective in preventing or mitigating osteoporosis, and also possibly high blood pressure and colon cancer. Calcium is also of particular nutritional value in growing children to support bone growth. There is therefore great public interest in the consumption of food products that will supply the recommended daily allowance of calcium.
In view of the desire for introducing more calcium into diets, especially children""s diets, it would be desirable if such RTE cereal products were fortified with supplemental calcium to provide a significantly nutritionally enhanced product. By significantly nutritionally enhanced is meant a product having at least 10% of the current recommended daily allowance (xe2x80x9cRDAxe2x80x9d) or at least 100 mg of calcium per 1 oz of RTE cereal serving.
Calcium can be added in limited amounts to the cereal pieces that comprise the principal ingredient of such marbit containing RTE cereal products. However, at higher levels of calcium fortification, the presence of such high amounts of calcium can adversely interfere with other desired characteristics. For example, high levels of added calcium materials could negatively affect the taste, texture and density of the RTE cereal pieces. It would thus be desirable to be able to calcium fortify the dried aerated confection pieces to provide calcium fortification whether as the sole means of fortification or to supplement any calcium fortification of the cereal pieces.
Methods for preparing candies and confections, especially aerated confections such as marshmallows, often involve the preparation of concentrated sugar syrup. Traditionally, the preparation of a sugar syrup involve three separate steps including (1) admixing dry sucrose and corn syrups with water to form a slurry, (2) heating to boiling to dissolve the sugars, (3) evaporating moisture to concentrate the syrup to the desired solids concentration. Generally, these steps are performed as separate steps and in batch mode. Batch processing allows for close control over the extent of crystals in the concentrated sugar syrup.
For example, sugar, water and corn syrup are first blended in an agitated kettle to form a slurry. Then, the slurry is heated in the kettle with agitation for an extended time to dissolve the sugar to form dilute sugar syrup. Next, the sugar syrup is concentrated such as by flash evaporation in a separate piece of equipment or by boiling for extended times in the kettle to achieve a concentrated sugar syrup of the desired moisture level.
Unfortunately, sugar syrups containing calcium, especially calcium supplied by highly water soluble calcium ingredients, when cooked or exposed to the elevated temperatures for extended cook times typical of marshmallow production can develop off-flavors
Moreover, the type and extent of agitation and rate of concentration are carefully controlled to achieve desired levels of sugar crystals in the syrup. The presence or absence of seed crystals or other nuclei such as from calcium ingredients in the concentrated sugar solution profoundly influences the properties of the finished product such as the texture of a dried marshmallow. As a result, the batches of concentrated sugar syrup have a limited xe2x80x9cpot life,xe2x80x9d i.e., must be used within a short time (e.g., 15 to 60 minutes).
In view of the present state of the art, there is a need for calcium fortified aerated confections as well as to methods for their manufacture.
The present invention provides improvements in aerated confections to calcium fortified products and to methods for preparing aerated confections that involve preparing sugar syrups, and improvements to methods for preparing aerated confections.
In particular, the present invention provides improvements to the compositions that are described in copending commonly assigned U.S. Ser. No. 09/107,170 entitled xe2x80x9cMulti-Colored Aerated Confectionery Products and Processes for Makingxe2x80x9d filed Jun. 11, 1998 which is incorporated herein by reference. The present invention also provides improvements to the methods for preparing aerated confections that are described in co-pending commonly assigned U.S. Ser. No. 09/107,168 filed Jun. 9, 1998 entitled xe2x80x9cPROCESS FOR AERATED CONFECTIONxe2x80x9d which is also incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention resides in part in the selection of calcium material of particular type and size to provide the desired calcium fortification. Also, a further improvement is that the present invention contemplates addition of calcium with solid sugar in a separate seeding step practiced after concentrating and cooling of the sugar syrup and before aeration whereby close control over end product texture can be obtained.
An advantage of the present invention is that the limited and irregular pot life feature of batch processing can be in certain embodiment replaced by continuous processing to produce concentrated sugar syrups in short residence times of 1 to 5 minutes.
Still another advantage is provided by employing a separate seeding step whereby the sugar crystal properties of the sugar syrup can be closely controlled by simple control over the properties of the sugars being added.
Still another advantage resides in the close control over the texture of aerated confections provided by the present methods by virtue of the seeding of clear sugar syrups with calcium immediately prior to aeration.
In its product aspect, the present invention resides in aerated confections importantly characterized by being nutrient fortified.
The aerated confections comprise:
About 50 to 95% of a saccharide component;
About 1 to 30% moisture;
About 0.5 to 30% of a structuring agent; and,
About 0.01% to 35% of nutritional fortifying ingredient selected from the group consisting of biologically active components, fiber, micronutrients, minerals, and mixtures thereof.
The confection compositions have densities of 0.10 to 1.0 g/cc.
Novel marbits products are also provided that are fabricated from such aerated confection compositions additionally characterized by a size count of 3 to 6/g and having moisture content of 1 to 5%. These products can be of one color or multi-colored.
In its principal method aspect, the present invention provides a continuous method for preparing an aerated confection, comprising the steps of:
A. Providing a cooled slurry confectionery blend comprising:
About 50 to 95% of a saccharide component;
about 1 to 30% moisture; and,
About 1 to 30% (dry weight basis) of a foam structuring agent;
B. Adding seeding the liquid sugar slurry confection blend with about 0.01% to 45% of a dry particulate having a particle size distribution such that 90% have a particle size of less than 400 microns, to form a seeded liquid confection blend;
C. aerating the seeded liquid confection blend to form an aerated confection plastic foam having a density of about 0.1 to 1.0 g/cc and a temperature of about 90 to 180xc2x0 F. (32 to 82xc2x0 C.);
D. extruding the aerated foam at a temperature of about 90 to 180xc2x0 F. (32 to 82xc2x0 C.) to form a plastic aerated confection extrudate;
E. cooling the extrudate to set the confection to form a set aerated confection extrudate; and,
F. forming the set aerated confection extrudate into pieces.